Surgical tongs



April 19, 1955 I w. REYNOLDS, JR 2,706,475

SURGICAL TONGS Filed Dec. 7, 1955 IN VEN TOR. WAL K E R RE Y/VOL DJ JR- ATTORNEYS United States Patent SURGICAL TONGS Walker Reynolds, Jr., Anniston, Ala., assignor to Reynolds-Horn Research Foundation, Inc., a corporation of Alabama Application December 7, 1953, Serial No. 396,514

4 Claims. (Cl. 12884) This invention relates to surgical tongs adapted for use in sternal traction, for fixation of sternal fractures, for rib traction in localized paradoxical respiration, for skull fractures in cases of cervical vertebra fractures, and for Steinman pin or Kirschner wire traction in long bone fractures.

An object of my invention is to provide tongs especially adapted for sternal traction and fixation of sternal fractures which afford a more even distribution of traction over a greater affective area than other devices and methods such, for example, as the towel clamp method, thereby to obtain better stabilization in paradoxical respiration in cases in which the sternum and anterior chest wall are mobile and oscillating.

Another object is to provide surgical tongs of the character designated in which the tong tools or points are removable, permitting the selection and use of points of the correct size, shape, or curvature, and further in which the angle between the points and the arms of the tongs are adjustable, thus obtaining the several advantages pointed out hereinafter.

My invention contemplates surgical tongs in which the tools or points are mounted in the inner ends of point holders, the holders being pivotally mounted in the lower ends of the arms of the tongs, together with adjusting screws and lock nuts operable to secure the holders in adjusted angular positions relative to their associated arms.

A still further object is to provide surgical tongs having all of the foregoing features which are sturdy enough to permit not only traction where indicated but which also may be used to clamp two fragments of the sternum together until the fracture has healed, thus providing a device having a multiple, twofold function when applied.

Medical tongs illustrating the features of my invention are shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my improved tongs, certain parts being broken away and in section, and the lock nuts for one of the point holding arms being backed off;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental plan view taken generally along line II-II of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken generally along line IIIIII of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of my invention my improved surgical tongs comprise crossed arms and 11 which may be reversely curved as indicated. The arms may be provided with flat portions 12, at the places where the arms cross. The arms are pivoted together in the fiat portions 12 by means of a rivet or the like 13.

The upper ends of the arms 10 and 11 are forked as indicated at 14 and 16, respectively. In the forked upper end 16 is a bushing 17. The bushing 17 is held rotatably in place by means of a through pin 18. Similarly, in the forked end 14 of the arm 10 is a bushing 19. The bushing 19 is held rotatably in place by means of stub pins 21.

Secured to a side of the bushing 17 as by welding is one end of a threaded screw 22. The screw 22 is curved as indicated and passes slidably through an opening provided in the bushing 19 and projects therethrough as shown. Threadably mounted on the screw is a knurled adjusting nut 23 and a lock nut 24.

Pivotally mounted on the rivet 13 is a loop or clevis member 26, wide enough to swing over the forked upper ends and the nuts 23 and 24. The clevis 26 may have an opening 28 through its upper end to pass a rope or the like, thus serving as a means for applying a pull to the tongs as a whole. It is to be noted that the pull is applied as the rivet 13. This point of application of the force thus does not in anywise tend to open or close the tongs as will presently appear.

The arms 10 and 11 are provided respectively with forked lower ends 29 and 31. Pivotally mounted in the forked lower end of the arm 10 on a rivet 32 is an arm 33 for holding a suitable tool. Similarly, a tool holding arm 34 is pivotally mounted on a rivet 36 in the lower end 31 of arm 11. The arms 33 and 34 are provided respectively with forked outer ends 37 and 38. Pivotally mounted on pins 39 and 41 in the respective forked ends of the arms 33 and 34 are bushings 42 and 43. The pins 39 and 41 are stub pins as indicated in Fig. 3 and do not pass completely through the bushings.

The bushings 42 and 43 are provided with opening 44 and 46 therethrough for slidably passing the threaded sections of screws 47 and 48. The screws are curved and are pivotally mounted on pins 49 and 51 passing through the respective forked ends 29 and 31. Knurled screws 5253 and 5456 are threadably mounted on the screws 47 and 48, respectively, whereby the angle of the point holding arms may be varied and held fixed.

Opening from the inner ends of the tool holding arms 33 and 34 are tool receiving sockets 57 and 58 repsectively. Laterally disposed drilled and tapped set screw holes 59 and 61 are provided adjacent the inner ends of the arms 33 and 34. Hollow head set screws 62 and 63 serve to engage the shanks 64 of the tools, such as points indicated generally by the numeral 66. As before stated, the points may be of various sizes and shapes, the lower ends 67 thereof being shaped as desired.

From the foregoing the method of constructing and using my improved surgical tongs may now be explained and understood. By way of example in connection with the ilse of the tongs for sternal traction the following is cite Under local anesthesia a vertical incision, approximately two cm. in length is made in the mid line over the center of the upper third of the body of the sternum. A second comparable incision is made over the lower third of the body of the sternum. Holes are then made in the outer plate of the upper and lower thirds of the body of the sternum, using a Crutchfield drill with guarded drill points. The tongs are then set at the maximum obtuse angle by means of the adjusting nuts 23 and 24. The angle of inclination of the points 66 is determined by means of the sets of nuts 52-53 and 5456. The points are then placed into the drilled holes and the tong arms are tightened by means of the nut 23 until the tongs are quite secure in the body of the sternum. A rope is then attached to the clevis 26 and a five to ten pound weight is then added, an overhead pulley system, not shown, being employed. Sterile dressings are applied about each point of the tongs where they enter the skin. In actual practice it may be necessary to tighten the tongs every two or three days, this being readily accomplished by adjusting the nuts 23 and 24.

It will be apparent that by use of the hollow head set screws 62 and 63, the points 66 may be changed very quickly and that points suitable for the work at hand may be inserted and tightened in minimum time. By suitably adjusting the angle of the point carrying arms 33 and 34, I can take advantage of the inward pressure of the lower ends of the arms 10 and 11 to force one end of a broken bone in a direction somewhat different from the direction of the other end in response to pull on the clevis 26. My improved tongs may thus be used to position the fractured ends of bones and to hold the ends together even though there may be stresses on said ends which tend to separate them or cause lateral slippage, or otherwise.

It will be apparent that the sockets 57 and 58 are adapted to receive various pins and wires for other types of procedures. Due to the vise-like action of my improved tongs they are quite suitable for use merely as a clamp to hold bones together, for instance, to hold the two fragments of a fractured sternum until the fracture has healed.

By utilizing the widest position of the tongs and by using curved points, the tongs will accommodate the largest skulls when used for skull traction.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that my improved surgical tongs are fully eifective for the various procedures set forth herein and are particularly effective for sternal traction. In actual practice I have found that my improved tongs are satisfactory in every way and that they fulfill a need for an instrument of this kind which is not met by any of the several types of surgical tongs with which I am familiar.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Surgical tongs comprising a pair of arm members pivotally joined intermediate their ends and defining pairs of oppositely disposed ends, an adjustable member connecting one of said pair of ends for adjusting the position of said arm members relative to each other, tool holding arms mounted for pivotal movement on the other pair of ends, and adjusting members connecting said tool holding arms to said other pair of ends for adjusting the angular position of each tool holding arm relative to its associated arm member.

2. Surgical tongs comprising a pair of arm members pivotally joined intermediate their ends and defining pairs of oppositely disposed forked ends, bushing members in one pair of the forked ends, a through pin rotatably holding one of said bushings in place, stub pins rotatably holding the other bushing in place, said other bushing having an opening therethrough, a threaded member ex tending through said opening and secured to the bush ing which is held in place by the through pin, adjusting nuts on said threaded member disposed on opposite sides of said other bushing, adjustable tool holding arms pivotally mounted on the other pair of ends, and removable tools attached to said tool holding arms.

3. Surgical tongs comprising a pair of arm members pivotally joined intermediate their ends and defining pairs of oppositely disposed ends, an adjustable member connecting one of said pair of ends for adjusting the position of said arm members relative to each other, tool holding arms mounted for pivotal movement on the other pair of ends, threaded members pivotally connected to said other pair of ends inwardly of said tool holding arms, the free ends of said threaded members slidably engaging said tool holding arms, and adjusting nuts on each threaded member disposed to engage opposite sides of said tool holding arms for holding the tool holding arms in selgcted angular positions relative to said other pair of en s.

4. Surgical tongs comprising a pair of arm members pivotally joined intermediate their ends and defining pairs of oppositely disposed ends, an adjustable member connecting one of said pair of ends for adjusting the position of said arm members relative to each other, the other pair of ends being forked, tool holding arms having forked outer ends mounted for pivotal movement in said forked ends of the arm members, bushings pivotally mounted in said forked outer ends of the tool holding arms, elongated threaded members pivotally mounted in said forked ends of the arm members inwardly of said tool holding arms, there being openings in said bushings for slidably receiving the free end of said threaded members, adjusting nuts on each of said threaded members disposed to engage opposite sides of the bushings whereby the tool holding arms are held in selected positions relative to the arm members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,002,021 Rouse May 21, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 85,075 Sweden Dec. 17, 1935 102,397 Australia Nov. 11, 1937 OTHER REFERENCES 1938 Catalog of V. Mueller & C0,, Chicago, page 233. Copy in Division 55. 

